Mechanical arm and control means therefor

ABSTRACT

A MECHANICAL ARM IS PROVIDED WITH A FREE END HAVING GRIPPING JAWS THEREON, AND A PAIR OF FOOT PEDALS ARE CONNECTED BY BOWDEN WIRES TO THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS TO CONTROL SWINGING MOVEMENT OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE ARM BOTH VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY AND CONTROLLING OPENING AND CLOSING MOVEMENTS OF THE JAW MEMBERS.

United States Patent Inventor Paul E. Pauly Grass Valley, Calif. (Rte. 3. Box 239 Emmett, Idaho 83617) App], No. 819,783

Filed Apr. 28, 1969 Patented June 28, 1971 MECHANICAL ARM AND CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR 4 Claims, 12 Drawing Figs.

0.8. CI 2l4/lBC, 74/478, 74/479, 74/501, 294/104,214/1CM 1nt.Cl ..B25j13/02, B25j 13/04, B25j 15/00 Field of Search 294/104; 214/1 (RCM. RC). 183.11BC):74/478.479 501: 212/66 {56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519.938 12/1924 Smith 1. 294/104 2361699 11/1958 Youmans. 214/1(RCM) 2,933,205 4/1960 MacDonald et a1. 214/1(RCM) 2,968,273 1/1961 Corbett et a1 74/478 3,088,449 5/1963 Hockaday et al. 74/501 3,409,047 11/1968 Jameson 212/66 2,681,586 6/1954 Pressler 74/501 Primary Examiner-Joseph Wegrbreit Assistant ExaminerMerle F. Maffei Alt0rney-Alexander B. Blair ABSTRACT: A mechanical arm is provided with a free end having gripping javvs thereon, and a pair of foot pedals are connected by Bowden wires to the various elements to control swinging movement of the elements of the arm both vertically and horizontally and controlling opening and closing movements ofthe jaw members.

PATENTEDJUN28I97I 3587-872 sum 2 or 3 IN VEN TOR.

Y P/WZ f. P401) MECHANICAL ARM AND CONTROL MEANS THEREFOR SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A vertical post is supported wherever desired and is connected to one end of a vertically swinging arm, the other end of which is connected to one end of a normally depending arm, the lower end of which is provided with a pair ofjaws one of which is fixed to the depending arm and the other of which is pivoted to move with respect thereto to grip or release an article between the jaws. The vertical post is mounted in a bearing to swing on a vertical axis to move said arms horizontally as may be desired. The first-named arm is pivoted to the upper end of the post to swing vertically, while the depending arm is pivoted at one end to the first named arm to -swing on a horizontal axis so that the gripping jaws may be moved upwardly and downwardly as may be desired. The swinging of the post on its vertical axis, the swinging of the first-named arm relative to the upper end of the post, the swinging of the depending arm relative to the first-named arm, the relative swinging of the jaw members and the turning of these members relative to the axis'of the depending arm are controlled by suitably connected Bowden wires. The lower ends of these wires are connected to a treadle mechanism including a pair of treadles adapted to swing'on vertical and horizontal axes to effect movement of the various Bowden wires except that the means for effecting relative movement of the jaw members is controlled by a knee-operated lever mounted adjacent one of the treadles. The apparatus can thus be utilized for picking up an article from a supporting surface, swinging it to and holding it in a position for the performance of work thereon particularly by the hands of the operator, both of these hands being released to perform useful work in view of the holding of the article by the gripping jaws. The apparatus is also useful by handicapped people for performing numerous useful operatrons.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the main portion of the apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the treadle mechanism, parts being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the treadle mechanism;

FIG. 4 is a detail section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. Sis a detail section on line 5-5 ofFlG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a similar view on line 6-6'of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a similar view on line 7-7 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 8 is a similar view on line 8-8 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a similar view on line 9-9 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a similar view on line 10-10 ofFlG.1;

FIG. 11 is a detail section on line 11-11 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 12 is a similar view on line 12-12 ofFIG.1.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 10 designates a table bench or other horizontal support preferably elevated above the floor so that the gripping jaws will be readily available to a person sitting at the table or bench with his feet on the treadles to be referred to below. At one end of the table is arranged a U-shaped clamp 12 provided with a clamping screw 14 for holding it in position. To the top of the clamp 12 is welded or otherwise secured a vertical socket 16 in which is arranged a vertical post 18 carrying elements to be described. This post is rotatable on its vertical axis and may be fixed against turning movement when desired, by a thumb screw 20 (FIGS. 1 and 7). The socket 16 is provided with a preferably integral outwardly and upwardly extending arm 22 for a purpose to be described.

The upper end of the post 18 carries a pivot pin 24, to one end of which is fixed a pulley 26 for a purpose to be described. The pivot pin 24 projects through a tubular arm 28 having a reinforcing block30 therein where the pivot pin 24 passes through the arm. The arm 28 has a short end 32 externally threaded as at 34 to be received in a lead counterweight 36.

The other end of the arm 28 is provided with a pivot pin 38 (FIGS. 1 and 8) on one end of which is mounted a pulley 40 for a purpose to be described. The pivot pin 38 also passes through a depending tubular arm 42, the upper short end 44 of which is threaded as at 46 to be engaged in a lead or similar counterweight 48. The arm 42 also is reinforced by an internal block 50 at the point through which the pivot pin 38 passes. I Adjacent its lower end, the arm 42 is provided with a sleeve 52 rotatable axially thereon and fixed against endwise movement with respect thereto. This sleeve carries a pulley 54 for a purpose to be referred to. Above the sleeve 52 an arm 56 is welded at one end to the arm 42 and at its outer end to a crossmember 58 carrying eyes 60 through which pass a Bowden wire 62 threaded around the pulley 54 and further referred to below.

The Bowden wire 62, after leaving the pulley 54, passes through flexible sleeves 64 supported with respect to the arm 42 as at 66. This support also carries a flexible tube 68 in which is slidable a Bowden wire 70 (FIG. I). The sleeve 52 is provided at its lower end with a stationary jaw 72 and a movable jaw 74 pivoted to the sleeve 52 as at 76 and biased toward closed position by a spring 78. The Bowden wire 70 is connected as at 80 to the movable jaw 74 so that when the Bowden wire is pulled, the jaws are opened for the reception therebetween of any object 82 to be gripped by the jaws. The flexible tubes 64 and 68 extend into and through a larger flexible tube 82 supported by a plate 84.

The pulley 40 is fixed to the pivot pin 38 and a Bowden wire 88 passes around this pulley and through flexible tubes 90. All of the tubes 82 and 90 are brought together and extend through a guide or support 92 and a second similar support 94 carried by the arm 28. It will be apparent that pulling one or the other runs of the Bowden wire 88 will rotate the pulley 40 to swing the arm 42 on the axis of the pivot pin 38. The Bowden wires 70, 62 and 88 are shown projecting from their sleeves at the left side of FIG. 1, and these wires are controlled in a manner to be described.

The post 18 is provided with a pulley 98 fixed thereon and a Bowden wire extends around this pulley with its runs projecting through a sleeve 112 carried by the upper end of the arm 22. The Bowden wire 110 then projects through tubes 114 from which the runs of such Bowden wire are shown projecting in FIG. 1 to be controlled in a manner to be described.

The pulley 26 is provided with a Bowden wire 116 passing therearound, the runs of this wire projecting through sleeves 118 carried by the post 18, the runs of the Bowden wire then extending through flexible tubes 120, then through guides 122 supported by the post 18 as at 124. The flexible tubes then project downwardly and are shown in FIG. 1 as being broken away with the runs of the Bowden wire 116 projecting therefrom to be operated as described below.

The various elements of the apparatus are operated by a treadle mechanism indicated as a whole by the numeral 126 (FIGS. 2 and 3). The treadle mechanism comprises a flat base 128 adapted to rest on the floor and provided with spaced upstanding posts 130 axially rotatable in bearings 132. Each post 130 is provided at its upper end with a pair of blocks 134 and the blocks of each pair are biased on a shaft 136. The blocks of the pairs 134 respectively support treadles 138 and 140 having heel brackets 142 and toe caps 144. With the operator's feet resting on the treadles, obviously these devices may be rocked on the axis of the shafts 136. The blocks of each pair are fixed to the associated shafts 136 and are also fixed to the respective treadles as at 146.

The shafts of the treadles 138 and 140 respectively carry pulleys 148 and 150. The Bowden wire 116 passes around the pulley 148 and through sleeves 156 and carried by bracket 158 fixed to the base 128. The flexible sleeves I20 extend over the base 128 and are fixed to the sleeves 156. The Bowden wire 88, which passes around the pulley 40 in FIG. 1, is arranged in flexible tubes 160 which extend downwardly from the table 10 to the base 128 and are supported by the bracket 158 in thesame manner as the tubes 120 for the Bowden wire 116. The Bowden wire 88 passes around the pulley 150.

Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the post 130 of the treadle 138 is provided with a pulley 162 around which passes the Bowden wire 110, the flexible tubes 114 for this Bowden wire extending over the base 128 and through a guide 164 supported on the base 128 by a plate 166 fixed to the base 128. It will be apparent that the swinging of the left foot of the operator will turn the treadle 138 and its associated post 130 to effect movement of the Bowden wire 110.

The treadle 140 has its vertical shaft 130 provided with a horizontal pulley 168 similar to the pulley 162, and the Bow den wire 62 extends around the pulley 168. The flexible tubes 64 in which the Bowden wire 62 operates extend through guides 170 carried by a bracket plate 172 similar to the plate 158 previously described.

A knee-operated device controls operation of the movable jaw 74. The tube 68 in which the Bowden wire 70 operates extends to a point adjacent one side of the treadle mechanism and through a tube 174 carried by a bracket 176 supported by a vertical post 178 (FIGS. 3 and 4), the lower end of which is fixed to the adjacent edge of the base 128. The post 178 is provided at its upper end with spaced parallel brackets 180 between which is pivoted as at 182 a knee-engaging lever 184 having its end turned rearwardly of the operator's feet as shown in FIG. 3. The Bowden wire 70 is connected at 185 to the lower end of the lever 184. It will be obvious that when the upper end of the lever 184 is moved outwardly of the base 128 a pull is exerted on the Bowden wire 70.

OPERATION An article to be picked up and supported by the jaws 72 and 74 may be arranged on the table 10, perhaps to one side of the arms 28 and 42. In order to swing the post 18 on its axis to swing the arms 28 and 42 to position the jaw members approximately above the article, the operator, with his left foot engaged with the treadle 138, will swing the latter on the axis of the associated shaft 130 whereby the pulley 162 exerts a pull on one run of the Bowden wire 110 to turn the pulley 98 (FIG. 1) to swing the post 18.

Assuming that the article is closer to the post 18 than the jaws 70 and 72, the operator will move the treadle 140 to turn it on the axis ofits shaft 136 to operate the Bowden wire 88 to turn the pulley 40 clockwise in FIG. 1 to swing the lower end of the arm 42 inwardly. Assuming that the jaws 70 and 72 are now approximately above the article, the operator will swing the arm 28 downwardly by operating the Bowden wire 116 which passes around the pulley 26 (FIG. 3) and this pulley is operated by proper movement of the treadle 138 about the axis ofits shaft 136.

Assuming that it is necessary to turn the sleeve 52 (FIG. 1) to change the position of the jaw members 72 and 74 to pick up the article, this may be done by rotating the right-hand treadle 140 on the axis of its shaft 130 to operate the Bowden wire 62 to turn the pulley 54 (FIG. 1).

After manipulating the parts described to properly position the jaw members over the article, the knee lever 184 will have its upper end moved to the right, thus exerting a pull on the Bowden wire 70 (FIG. 4), thus pulling this wire in FIG. 1 to move the jaw 74 away from the stationary jaw against the tension of the spring 78. The pulley 26 may then again be operated in the manner described to move the arm 28 downwardly, thus moving the jaw members downwardly over the article to be picked up. The knee lever 184 then may be released and the spring 78 will move the jaw 74 to clamp an article 82 between the jaws.

By manipulating the various elements of the apparatus described, the jaws 72 and 74, with the article supported therebetween, may be moved upwardly, to the right or left or sidewise to place the article in the desired position.

The device is particularly useful where a single operator to perform work on the device cannot do so with his two hands, which it is desired to have free. The present apparatus accordingly may be effective and useful for supporting an article while work is being performed thereon. For example, the jaws may support relatively small articles on which a soldering operation is to be performed, in which case wire solder may be held in one hand by the operator while a soldering iron is held in the other hand. The device also may be used by handicapped persons for picking up articles and moving them to any desired point where the user does not have hands or-arms to manually pick up and maneuver an article.

While the movable jaw 74 has been shown as being biased to closed position, it will be apparent that it may be biased to open position and closed by transmitting a pushing force to the Bowden wire 70. This readily may be done (FIG. 4) by moving the pivot pin 182 downwardly and connecting the Bowden wire to the knee lever above such pin.

From the foregoing it will now be seen that there is herein provided an improved mechanical arm and control means therefor which accomplishes all of the objects of this invention and others, including many advantages of great practical utility and commercial importance.

As various embodiments may be made of this inventive concept, and as many modifications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is to be understood that all matter herein is to be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A mechanical arm structure and control means therefor comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end of each, a pair of jaws carried by the other end of one of said arms and being movable relative to each other to be brought toward each other to grasp an article therebetween, means for swinging said arms relative to each other at their point of pivotal connection, means for effecting relative movement of said jaws to engage an article therebetween, a pulley fixed with respect to said one arm at said pivot connection, a Bowden wire passing around said pulley, means for operating said Bowden wire to rotate said pulley and swing said one arm relative to said other arm, a supporting post having pivotal connection at its upper end with the other end of said other arm, a pulley fixed with respect to said other end of said other arm, a second Bowden wire passing around said last-named pulley to rotate it and swing said other arm about said pivot connection, a pair of treadles mounted to pivot on horizontal axes independently of each other, a pulley fixed to each treadle concentric with its pivot axis, the Bowden wire passing around the pulley fixed to the other end of said last-named arm passing around one treadle pulley, and a second treadle pulley fixed to turn coaxially with the other treadle, said Bowden wire passing around said firstnamed pulley, passing around the pulley of said other treadle to be operated by turning movement of the latter.

2. A mechanical arm structure and control means therefor comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end of each, a pair of jaws carried by the other end of one of said arms and being movable relative to each other to be brought toward each other to grasp an article therebetween, means for swinging said arms relative to each other at their point of pivotal connection, means for effecting relative movement of said jaws to engage an article therebetween, a pulley fixed with respect to said one arm at said pivot connection, a Bowden wire passing around said pulley, means for operating said Bowden wire to rotate said pulley and swing said one arm relative to said other arm, a supporting post having pivotal connection at its upper end with the other end of said other arm, a pulley fixed with respect to said other end 'of said other arm, a second Bowden wire passing around said last-named pulley to rotate it and swing said other arm about said pivot connection, said post mounted for axial turning movement, a pulley carried by said post concentric therewith, a treadle mounted for turning movement on a vertical axis, a pulley fixed to said treadle for turning movement on said vertical axis, and a Bowden wire passing around said pulley carried by said post and around said last-named pulley whereby rocking movement of said treadle on said ver tical axis will turn said post on its axis to swing said arms horizontally.

3. A mechanical arm structure and control means therefor comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end of each, a pair of jaws carried by the other end of one of said arms and being movable relative to each other to be brought toward each other to grasp an article therebetween, means for swinging said arms relative to each other at their point of pivotal connection, means for effecting relative movement of said jaws to engage an article therebetween, a pulley fixed with respect to said one arm at said pivot connection, a. Bowden wire passing around said pulley, means for operating said Bowden wire to rotate said pulley and swing said one arm relative to said other arm, a supporting post having pivotal connection at its upper end with the other end of said other arm, a second Bowden wire passing around said last-named pulley to rotate it and swing said other arm about said pivot connection, said other end of said firstnamed arm having a sleeve axially rotatable on said firstnamed arm and carrying said jaws, a pulley carried by said sleeve coaxially therewith, a treadle being mounted to turn on a vertical axis, a pulley fixed to said treadle and mounted to turn on such vertical axis, and a Bowden wire passing around said last-named pulley and around said pulley on said sleeve whereby turning movement of said other treadle on its vertical axis will rotate said sleeve to turn said jaws.

4. A mechanical arm structure and control means therefor comprising a pair of arms pivotally connected to each other adjacent one end of each, a pair of jaws carried by the other end of one of said arms and being movable relative to each other to be brought toward each other to grasp an article therebetween, means for swinging said arms relative to each other at their point of pivotal connection, means for effecting relative movement of said jaws to engage an article therebetween, a pulley fixed with respect to said one arm at said pivot connection, a Bowden wire passing around said pulley, means for operating said Bowden wire to rotate said pulley and swing said one arm relative to said other arm, a supporting post having pivotal connection at its upper end with the other end of said other arm, a pulley fixed with respect to said other end of said other arm, a second Bowden wire passing around said last-named pulley to rotate it and swing said other arm about said pivot connection, a knee lever, and a Bowden wire connected between said lever and one of said jaws, said one jaw being pivotally biased toward the other jaw, movement of said lever transmitted to said one jaw through its Bowden wire moving said movable jaw away from the other aw. 

